"O'Shea missed it!"

  From the sidelines, Gao Shen shouted urgently, trying to alert his pyers on the field.

  Whether in the first leg or the sed leg, Maer United's right-back had been struggling.

  At the San Paolo, he had been pletely torched by Di Maria, leading to Napoli's equalizer.

  Back at Old Trafford, Di Maria had once again bypassed him effortlessly, setting up Napoli's terattack that led to the goal just moments ago.

  His role iwo games had been tragic.

  But that didn't mean O'Shea cked ability.

  Far from it, any pyer who secured a starting spot at Maer United had to be talented.

  O'Shea was no exception.

  But Napoli's tactical discipline was making life extremely difficult for United.

  To what extent was Napoli trolling the game?

  By the 25th mihey had pletely suppressed Maer United's midfield, cutting off their passing nes.

  At minute 29, Ferdinand received the ball near United's own 30-meter area.

  He looked around, searg for an open pass but found nothing.

  Up front, i moved slowly in front of Vidic, just enough to make Ferdinaant.

  If he passed to Vidic, i would sprint forward and intercept—disaster.

  Ahead, Rakitic positioned himself between Carrid Fletcher.

  To the right, Di Maria shadowed O'Shea, keeping him under pressure.

  Ferdinand turned left no option.

  Turned right still no option.

  Looked forward still nothing.

  For nearly ten seds, he shifted bad forth, uo move the ball forward.

  In desperation, he finally saw Park Ji-sung making a run and unched a long pass.

  But Park hadn't truly pushed forward he had actually dropped back.

  The ball sailed into Napoli's half, where Vargas easily intercepted it, passing back to Handanovi?.

  It was a textbook example of Napoli's defensive suppression.

  Just a mier, Ferdinand had the ball again.

  This time, Di Maria had moved closer to him, and O'Shea had slipped free.

  Gao Shen saw it instantly.

  "O'Shea is open!" He shouted.

  But Ferdinand's pass was already on its way.

  O'Shea drove past the halfway line on the right, delivering a diagonal ball behind Napoli's deferaight into the penalty area.

  Cristiano Ronaldo sprinted forward.

  At that moment, the Puese forward's speed and explosiveness were on full dispy.

  O'Shea's pass was well-pced, nding just ihe penalty area.

  But Handanovi? had read the danger early.

  The Napoli goalkeeper charged out, diving low to cim the ball before Ronaldo could reach it.

  On the sidelines, Gao Shen called over Di Maria, reminding him to watch his positioning.

  From a distahe Argentine raised his hand in aowledgment, he knew he had let his guard down.

  United, however, used this moment to push their defensive line higher, looking to relieve pressure and gain trol of the midfield.

  Their i was clear: apply pressure, force mistakes, and spark a wave of attacks.

  Soon, Ronaldo dropped into space, received the ball, and drove forward on the left toward Napoli's box.

  But instead of linking up with Rooney, he spotted a gap outside the area and fired a le shot.

  The ball missed again.

  From the toue, Gao Shen cpped forcefully, urging his pyers to stay focused and tighten their marking on Ronaldo.

  He hadn't ted Ronaldo's total shots, but none had been on target.

  Still, he was United's only sistent attag outlet.

  And if they kept allowing him space, sooner or ter, he might find the .

  Ferguson responded.

  When Ronaldo dropped deep, Anderson pushed forward.

  At minute 33, Ronaldo's movement distracted Napoli's defense.

  Anderson slipped into the gap between Napoli's ter-backs and Thiago Motta.

  Fletcher picked him out with a through pass, sending the ball into the box.

  Rooney broke in from the left, arriving at the same time as Handanovi?.

  The Napoli keeper rushed out, diving low to smother Rooney's shot in his arms.

  Both pyers tumbled to the ground in a heap.

  A frustrated sigh echoed through Old Trafford.

  Anolden ce wasted!

  Gao Shen immediately shouted instrus to Thiago Motta and David Luiz, particurly Luiz.

  There had been a misunication.

  Luiz hadn't followed Ronaldo instead, Thiago Motta had.

  So when Anderson surged forward, Luiz failed to step out in time to close him down.

  The Braziliaer-back had improved signifitly in Serie A, but he still had moments of poor tration or misjudgment.

  Gao Shen, Bonucci, and others had to stantly remind him.

  United's attack tinued until the 39th minute.

  During this period, the two teams traded attacks, but United were the mgressive.

  Napoli, however, remained disciplined and posed.

  They denied United shooting ces, keeping their defensive shape rock solid.

  Then, at minute 40, United eased off the iy slightly and Napoli struck back.

  After intercepting the ball in midfield, Rakitiched a long, defense-splitting pass forward.

  The ball whipped through the space between Ferdinand and O'Shea.

  Both Maer United defenders were stationed he halfway line, leaving a huge gap behind them.

  Rakitic delivered the pass with precision and pace.

  As i dropped deep, Di Maria surged forward, shaking off O'Shea and sprinting past him.

  But Van der Sar reacted instantly, rushing off his lio clear the ball before Di Maria could reach it.

  Just a mier, Maer Uruck back.

  Ferdina a long ball toward the edge of Napoli's penalty area, aiming for Ronaldo's run.

  This time, however, Bonucci was ready.

  The ter-back positioned himself perfectly, shielding the ball before calmly passing it back to Handanovi?.

  "The match is getting intense, but it's still a tactical battle."

  "Both teams are showing their resilience."

  "Maer United and Napoli clearly have an incredible desire to win."

  "Overall, Napoli has the upper hand right now, but United are still fighting hard."

  "The biggest issue for United is their ck of a clear attag path. Their offensive pys aren't creating real dahey're relying too mu Ronaldo's long shots, which is proving to be iive."

  "Napoli's defeup has been highly disciplined and tactically sound."

  "We see Gao Shen stantly signaling to his pyers to push forward."

  "It's clear that Napoli wants anoal."

  "If they scain, the away goals rule means United would have to score three times to qualify. That would be a massive blow to the Red Devils and possibly the decisive moment of the match."

  "Gao Shen's tactical approad in-game adjustments tonight have been impressive. Against the legendary Ferguson, he looks just as sharp, and Napoli have shown incredible petitiveness."

  "Look at this attaapoli is advang as a unit."

  On the left fnk, Vargas and Di Maria bined.

  It seemed obvious that they would un attack down the wing, United's defense reacted accly.

  Di Maria initially feinted inside, only to pass back out wide, allowing Vargas to drive forward.

  O'Shea responded quickly, closing Vargas down and trapping him he toue.

  Di Maria dropped back to the er of the penalty area, receiving Vargas' pass.

  Fletcher sprinted over, looking to double-team him alongside Park Ji-sung.

  But Di Maria stayed posed.

  He took a quice at Vargas ahead, then at the middle of the pitch.

  Then, with a sudden flick of his left foot, he lofted the ball behind Fletcher, sending it toward the edge of the box.

  A moment ter, a sky-blue blur burst forward, Rakitic sprinting from deep!

  The Croatian took the pass in stride, pushing it forward without losing momentum, driving straight into the penalty area.

  Old Trafford erupted in shock!

  Just as Rakitic surged into the box, Carrick lunged in from behind, crashing into him.

  The midfielder went down ihe penalty area.

  Carrick immediately threw up his hands, protesting his innoce.

  But the referee's whistle had already blown.

  PENALTY!

  "From the slow-motion repy, it's clear that Rakitic's sudden forward run caught Maer United's defense off guard."

  "Carrick reacted te and collided into him from behind."

  "Repys from different angles firm that Rakitic was ihe penalty area when tact occurred."

  "There's no doubt, it's a clear penalty."

  "The referee has shown a yellow card and poio the spot!"

  Maer United's pyers protested.

  They argued that the foul happened outside the box and that Rakitic simply fell forward into the area.

  But the referee stood firm.

  "From the repy, the tact clearly occurred ihe penalty area, this is the right call."

  "Gao Shen's decision to position Rakiti the left tonight has proven to be a masterstroke. The Croatian has pyed brilliantly, and this te run into the box has pletely uled United's defense."

  "Now, the big question, who will take the penalty?"

  On the sidelines, Gao Shen watched in silence as the Napoli pyers gathered, deg who would take the spot-kick.

  o him, Ferguson was fuming, still voig his frustration to the officials.

  He k—if Napoli scored this penalty, it would be a crushing blow to United.

  Possibly even a fatal one.

  But there was nothing he could do.

  It was a clear penalty.

  Lucas, watg the live broadcast, firmed that the TV kept repying the moment, further validating the call.

  As for who would take the penalty?

  Gao Shen had a good guess.

  Rakitic wasn't the type to steal the spotlight, he would likely step aside for a teammate.

  And the one pyer who wao sost for Napht now was undoubtedly i.

  Sure enough—i stepped up.

  One by one, Napoli's pyers approached him, hugs and words of encement.

  Behind the goal, the Maer United fans roared, trying to rattle i.

  Iands, over 76,000 fans were holding their breath.

  At this moment, every single one of them raying.

  "God, please stop him!"

  ***

  Chey new ff: Heavenly Restri User of the Gojo : I Refuse to Be Cut in Half

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